MONTHLY SPOTLIGHTS

2024 Youth of the Year Finding their voices as leaders

Brianna, 2024 Greater Southwest Michigan Youth of the Year

Brianna is a 17-year-old senior at Benton Harbor High School. She is the daughter of Kimberly Lewis and has been a Club member for 11 years. Brianna’s favorite Club program is SMART Girls because growing up she didn’t have any sisters and SMART Girls provided her with the sisterhood that she was searching for.

When asked about what helped her prepare for running for the Youth of the Year Brianna said, “I used to work at the Boys & Girls Club Fettig Youth Campus in the drama room working with Beyond Limits. Working with the younger Club members taught me a lot about myself and helped me become a better version of myself. For example I had to learn to become more patient and not expect everything to go right the first time. I believe this is a skill that helped throughout the Youth of the Year process.”

Brianna continued by saying, “The Youth of the Year process was very demanding and stressful to navigate. We got started a little later than normal this year which added to the stress but I learned a lot from Mrs. Kayla and the advisors. Even though it was a difficult journey I would without a doubt do it again!”

When asked what it means to her to represent Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Southwest Michigan in the Youth of the Year competition Brianna responded by saying, “Honestly, it’s an honor but I’m not in this alone; it’s a collective effort. I hope that I’m able to make our Clubs and community proud as I compete for the title of Michigan Youth of the Year.”

Brianna will represent Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Southwest Michigan as she competes with teens selected by each of the 16 statewide Clubs for the state of Michigan Youth of the Year title in Lansing on April 17

Junior Youth of the Year



To help young Club members understand the leadership journey, the Club also has a Junior Youth of the Year program for youth ages 10-13. The process is the same, each candidate has to write their speech and go through an interview process with a panel of judges. This year, three Clubs in Greater Southwest Michigan participated in the program, naming a Junior Youth of the Year: Xavier Hardin, Benton Harbor; Jessilynn Wynn, Sturgis; and Makayla Lee, Bridgman. On February 21, 2024, the three competed for the organization-wide title of Greater Southwest Michigan Junior Youth of the Year and Xavier Hardin earned the title. 

Xavier, 2024 Greater Southwest Michigan Junior Youth of the Year (Benton Harbor Junior Youth of the Year)

Xavier is a 12-year-old 7th grader at Countryside Academy Middle School in Benton Harbor. He is the son of Ronald Davis and Sakiyah Hardin and has been a member of the Fetting Youth Campus for six years. Xavier’s favorite program is Torch Club because of how it has helped him improve his public speaking skills.

During his speech, Xavier said, “I have faced many challenges from being antisocial, like talking to people for the first time, and asking others for help. Boy & Girls Clubs taught me how to become more social with more people and step out of my comfort zone.”

Xavier continued by saying, “I came to the Club wanting to experience new things. When I was in workforce development I went to the state capital, Lansing, and it was such a fun experience. I met a lot of new people. The Club has shown me lots of things and some of them I was really interested in. Like when we went to Michigan Adventure and the movies. These experiences helped my social skills skyrocket and now I take on more responsibilities.”

Makayla, 2024 Junior Youth of the Year, Bridgman Clubs

Makayla is an 11-year-old 6th grader at F.C. Reed Middle School in Bridgman. She is the daughter of Heather Wehrly and Daniel Lee and has been a Club member for two and a half years. Makayla’s favorite program is Workforce because they learn about different job fields and get hands-on practice which prepares them for the future.

During her speech, Makayla said, “Last year, I joined Junior Youth of the Year just because I thought it sounded cool, but I have learned more skills than I thought I would. I've become more confident speaking in front of others and now I am not as afraid to try new things. Making a speech and delivering it was challenging for me, but I'm grateful for these experiences that helped me grow. I am also very grateful that Boys & Girls Clubs has given me a chance to do Junior Youth of the Year not only once but twice. It has helped me a lot.”

Jessilynn, 2024 Junior Youth of the Year, Sturgis Club

Jessilynn is an 11-year-old 5th grader at Eastwood Elementary School in Sturgis. She is the daughter of Chad Wynn and Jessica Pant. She has been a member of the Club since 2023. Jessilynn’s favorite thing to do at Club is Triple Play programs that help keep her active and participating in fun activities with her friends. 

Jessilynn’s dream is to be an advocate for abused and abandoned horses. “In everyday life, you see horses that are abused just by driving down the road. They may be overly tired, have foamy mouths from working so hard, and can be underfed. These are the animals I want to help,” she said in her speech.

Jessilynn concluded by saying, “I know Boys & Girls Club will help me achieve my goals because I am learning the importance of hard work, showing tolerance, and I am gaining the ability to focus on my goals. Learning how to be a leader will give me the skills to develop my own business and become a horse advocate. Horses need someone to stand up for them. I promise I will be the one to do it.”